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Bitcoin (BTC) The first cryptocurrency, launched in 2009. Fixed supply of 21 million, often described as "digital gold" and used as the market's benchmark asset. Assets Blockchain A shared, append-only ledger maintained by many computers. Once recorded, entries are practically impossible to alter, which is what makes on-chain assets trustworthy without a central operator. Basics DAO Decentralized Autonomous Organization Decentralized Autonomous Organization — a community that coordinates through on-chain voting, with rules and treasury enforced by smart contracts. Applications DeFi Decentralized Finance Decentralized Finance — lending, trading and yield products built from smart contracts, open to anyone with a wallet, no bank account required. Applications Ethereum (ETH) The largest smart-contract platform. Developers deploy programs (contracts) that run exactly as written, powering DeFi, NFTs and most token issuance. Basics Fear & Greed Index A 0–100 sentiment gauge for crypto markets. Low readings signal fear (potential oversold), high readings signal greed (potential overheating). Market signals Gas Fee The fee paid to a blockchain's validators for processing your transaction. Varies with network congestion — high demand means higher gas. Basics Layer 2 L2 / rollup Networks built on top of a base chain (like Ethereum) that batch transactions to cut fees and boost speed while inheriting the base chain's security. Basics NFT Non-Fungible Token Non-Fungible Token — a unique on-chain certificate of ownership for digital (or physical) items: art, collectibles, tickets, domain names. Assets RWA Real-World Assets Real-World Assets — treasuries, credit, real estate and other traditional assets issued as on-chain tokens, connecting TradFi yields with DeFi rails. Assets Seed Phrase Recovery phrase The 12/24-word master key to a wallet. Whoever holds it controls the assets; lose it and nobody can recover it. Store offline, never share. Safety Smart Contract Code deployed on a blockchain that executes automatically when conditions are met — no intermediary needed. The building block of DeFi. Basics Stablecoin A token pegged to a stable asset, usually the US dollar (USDT, USDC). The cash leg of crypto trading and an increasingly important payment rail. Assets Token Unlock Vesting unlock The scheduled release of previously locked tokens (team, investors, ecosystem funds) into circulation — large unlocks can pressure price. Market signals

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Beginner’s Guide Six topics, from “what is a blockchain” to reading the market on your own. Web3 Toolbox Data, trading, security and developer tools the TREE NEWS desk actually keeps open.

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